The present invention relates to the entire nucleotide sequences of cDNAs that are encoding amarandin 1 and 2, ribosome-inactivating proteins having antiviral activity, of Amaranthus viridis.
According to ANTIVIRAL COMPOUNDS FROM PLANTS, 1st ed., CRC Press, Inc., (1990) and Bio/Technology (1992) 10:405-412, the ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), classified as type 1 and 2, have antiviral and abortifacient activities with N-glycosidase activity which cleave the N-glycosidic bond of adenine in a specific ribosomal RNA sequence. Interest in ribosome-inactivating proteins stems from their potential utilization in agriculture and medicine, due to their antiviral activity and antifungal activity. Ribosome-inactivating proteins can be utilized either for the production of the multiple virus-resistant crops or for the inhibition of virus replication comprising virus-induced human diseases, like HIV-1 replication, selectively in cell cultures. Moreover, one can custom design extremely specific and very effective small peptide conferring an antiviral activity, from the basis of RIP structure, to interfere with the penetration stage of certain myxoviruses.
During our screening studies searching for new RIP we found that Amaranthus viridis crude extracts displayed both translational inhibitory and antiviral activities against plant viruses.